Partly cloudy. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable..

Partly cloudy. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.

South Fork Historical Society President Mark Kohart displays items including a 1930s coal miner's lamp and lunch bucket as well as a 1950s football jersey of the South Fork High School Falcons.     

South Fork Historical Society President Mark Kohart displays items including a 1930s coal miner's lamp and lunch bucket as well as a 1950s football jersey of the South Fork High School Falcons.     

SOUTH FORK, Pa. – Retired naval fighter pilot Mark Kohart moved back home to South Fork with intentions to “retire, retire,” he said.

But he’s served as South Fork Borough Council member, a stint as mayor and started an historical society.

“It hit me when I came back, how things have changed for the better in the area,” he said. “When I saw all these green fields where there used to be just rock dumps, I thought this is a prime opportunity to change.”

Kohart, 61, was especially surprised to see what had become of a once-rutted path where he used to ride his motorcycle in his youth.

It is now the Path of the Flood Trail.

He was happy to see the Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority establish the trail among others as recreational opportunities throughout the region.

Kohart has been integral in raising funds and volunteering to improve trails in South Fork, said Cliff Kitner, executive director of the authority.

“We are in charge of trails, and we started to work with Mark a couple years ago,” Kitner said.

“He believes what we believe – that trails are an important economic driver for the area. If I call him for something, he does his best to make it happen.”

Kohart’s support of the trails has come through his leadership of the South Fork Historical Society, a nonprofit he co-founded.

“It’s an exciting time to be embracing two things principally: our heritage and our future,” Kohart said.

“The historical society’s name implies one of those functions, but the other function is to make things better for the community of South Fork.”

The historical society has sponsored trail signage and provided volunteers to maintain trails, Kitner said.

“We had a mudslide, and he (Kohart) was the one who cleaned it up using his own equipment,” he said.

“He’s passionate and cares about his town. He’s just one of those guys who draws people in and gets things done.”

The South Fork Historical Society grew to 287 members since it began in 2020, Kohart said. The society acquired a building at 427 Maple St. last year. It’s a former First Commonwealth Bank branch, built in 1903, he said.

The historical society has turned it into a mini museum focused on four pillars of the region’s history – coal mines, railroads, steel mills and the military.

“We’ve also begun to offer community events,” Kohart said.

“For Christmas, we had a children’s movie night. I dressed up as an engineer, my wife was an elf and we had 41 kids attend. We watched “The Polar Express.” It was really wonderful to see these kids happy.”

On Feb. 24, the society has a fundraising event scheduled for the Ray of Hope Foundation.

“These are things that are small, but I think they make a difference,” Kohart said.

Todd Russell, another South Fork native who moved back home a couple of years ago, started the historical society with Kohart and also succeeded him as mayor of South Fork.

“With Mark’s military history, everything he leads has a protocol,” Russell said.

“He’s been a godsend to borough council with the way he’s been able to put things together.”

Russell, Kohart and other leaders of the historical society have between 15 and 20 projects they are working on.

“He (Kohart) is a motivator,” Russell said. “He’s got a drive that comes from his being an F-14 fighter pilot ... things aren’t moving fast enough for him.”

Kohart returned to South Fork to care for his mother in the final years of her life. Since he moved back, he’s also gotten married to his wife, Patricia Chunta, a South Fork native, and they are building a house in Summerhill Borough.

He works from home for his employer, Stevenson Stellar Corp., based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

“There’s only one home,” he said.

“Only you know where it is. For me, it’s back here. That’s why I’ve gotten involved in all of the community efforts.”

Russ O'Reilly is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @RussellOReilly.

Blake Eckenrod is cooking up something good at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center.

Russ O'Reilly is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @RussellOReilly.

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